Snapping Point
by DarkestAngellic
Summary: The members of AVALANCHE really should tread carefully when they speak to Chaos about his lover.


_**Disclaimer: **__**I own nothing from FFVII, not the settings, not the characters, not the names. Nothing. I own absolutely nothing. It is all the property of the wonderful Square Enix.**_

* * *

Chaos should have known something would be said. He should have picked up on the tension running thick in the air. Hell, the presence of every member of the now disbanded AVALANCHE should have sent his instincts screeching into wary observation to figure out what was going on.

But Chaos missed the signs. Missed the exchanged glances and careful gestures. All because his lover had finally murmured the words he had been expecting to never hear. He was… on an emotional high. Buzzing, for once, on positive energy, a smile flirting at the corners of his lips but never quite making a full appearance. He was here on his routine visit to check up on everyone, the faces of not-quite-friends stamped into his memory from his time with Vincent. Marlene dragged him up the stairs to see how the two ginger kittens were developing, both of them recognising him as their old owner and chew toy. He let them nibble and munch on his hand, their tiny teeth unable to cause any harm lasting more than a few seconds. The cuts sealed over before blood could be shed. Firefly and Phoenix, Marlene named them. Fitting, in a way, what with their colouring. Chaos plays with the kittens until they eventually fall asleep leaning against his thigh, their purrs eventually dying away to quiet breathing only heightened senses can detect at once. Again Marlene thanks him for giving her the two fluffballs, and again she promises to look after them. Chaos tickles her into a giggling mess of squirming youngster on the floor before returning to the bar area and taking his usual seat furthest into the shadows, sipping at a glass of water. It is then, and only then, that he notices the warning signs, but by that point it is far too late. Tifa and Yuffie have already moved closer, and both are now at his table perched on either side of him. Fencing him in unless Chaos decides to vault over the table. He sighs in resignation and sets down the glass - this will be one hell of a conversation.

"Out with it."

* * *

"So. You and Sephiroth, huh?" Yuffie speaks first, dark eyes meeting his gaze with a steely determination buried in their depths. His first instinct is to snap at her, go on the defensive, his second is to just vault over the damn table and get out. But no, he ignores those instincts. He wants this over with - Sephiroth and he deserve peace for once and until this is settled they won't get it.

"If you are referring to us being a couple, then yes, you are correct, Yuffie." She scowls momentarily at his answer. Perhaps he is too calm? Tifa clears her throat to claim his attention and amber eyes fall on the hands she wrings nervously on the solid wood. She catches herself and quickly moves them under the table but he can still see the shift of muscles in her arms as she continues the fidgeting. She is nervous. And everyone is looking solely at him. Wonderful.

"Is it… You know… Serious?" She squeaks, and for a long moment he merely stares at her. Just where exactly was this going? His eyes narrow the tiniest fraction even as amber depths go guarded and hard, revealing nothing.

"We love each other, yes."

"More like just screw around." It is a muttered breath, but he hears it, and his gaze snaps to the blonde leaning against the bar, lips parting to reveal the very tips of his fangs in a subtle, silent warning.

"And what would you know of our relationship Cloud? If I remember rightly you seem more determined to run me through to get to Sephiroth, rather than figure out the complex nature of our relationship." He notices Vincent stirring in his peripheral vision, his former host no doubt recognising the deeper rasp to his voice. The former Turk knows him well - even now Chaos can feel his body tensing and his wings lifting a little higher in preparation to snap out and break bones. His defensive nature is kicking in, and he doesn't attempt to stop it. These looks are giving away hints to where this goes. The words are making heat boil in his veins. Anger. Dangerous, bubbling anger. They _dare_ question the feelings of those they know _nothing_ about?

"_Cloud_! Enough!" Tifa's voice has the idiot glancing away and Chaos shifts his attention back to the woman. She has another question on the tip of her tongue.

"Are you… sure it's a good idea to be involved with him?"

"I can handle his extremes in mood and I can defend myself well if the need arises. Might I remind you that I am a demon older than your family's entire bloodline? I can make a choice in partner perfectly fine by myself."

"Why Sephiroth?"

"Why not Sephiroth?"

"Chaos, look, we're only concerned for -"

"What do you see in him anyway?" Silence. Deafening silence meets Yuffie's interruption. His eyes slide to meet her glare before his head slowly turns to face her, staring at her without blinking. She stares right back, the idiot little fool unconsciously challenging him.

"What do you see in that psycho?" His teeth grind together even as his eyes flare bright gold, expression shifting to one of dark fury. His hand flashes out and clamps down hard on her wrist, hard enough to grind the delicate bones together. A pained cry leaves her lips but no-one attempts to help her yet, no doubt suddenly realising a line has just been crossed.

"You know _nothing_ little girl. Barely old enough to call yourself a woman by mortal standards, and you think to pass judgement on Sephiroth so easily? Let me tell you a little something." His grip tightens, prompting a faint whimper from her as wide eyes, frightened eyes, meet his furious gaze.

"You remember Nero's Darkness, yes?" The mere mention of it drains the colour from her face, answer enough, but she nods anyway. "Imagine living in that. Day in. Day out. Your every breath sucks in that taint, your every thought is stabbed by it. Your every movement a fight against those chilled shackles. That is me, child. The real me. I battle that Darkness every moment of my existence. Sephiroth's instability is nothing compared to mine should I lose that fight. The man you hate with every fibre of your being is the same one who keeps me sane."

"We are both broken souls fusing to form the one whole. We support one another. We are _there_. We _love_." He releases her with a harsh growl, flipping over the table and turning so he can meet each and every gaze before settling back on the two women, fine tremors working through him with the struggle to hold himself still and not snap their pathetic little necks for this idiocy.

"You might hold a grudge against Sephiroth for what happened to your home country, Yuffie, but you might want to keep in mind that with every breath he takes now, he protects it." Claws under her chin tip her head up so she can only see his face and see the barely leashed violence behind his glare.

"If Sephiroth goes mad, he can be killed. The Planet can fall back on its safety plan to survive. If _I_ go mad, everything ends. Vincent might have controlled our body, but it was _my_ power that stopped Omega. If I go mad, this world is doomed and all life will end. No Omega. No Lifestream. No souls. No Planet. Everything will be gone. I strongly suggest you keep in mind that Sephiroth is my balance and my sanity. Judge him so quickly again, and I will end your miserable little life. And kill anyone foolish enough to get in my way." He releases her, his quick yank back opening up a shallow cut under her jaw. He turns his glare to the rest of them, truly shaking now, a feral gleam in his eyes.

"You would all do well to remember that." A breath in. Exhale. Breathe in. And out. He scowls at Vincent before storming out, intent on putting several miles between his claws and their bodies. He'll kill them otherwise. Foolish mortals and judging books by their covers…

* * *

When Sephiroth finds him two days later, flanked by Tifa and Cid, he is a snarling, pacing killer covered in the remains of his prey. He can't quite remember how he ended up there, but Sephiroth is with him and the fools are retreating quickly like the cowards they are. Sephiroth is with him. He's here.

"Come. Let's get you home and cleaned up. Silly bat." His frantic need to pace slows to a halt, the twitching of his claws stops and recognition finally breaks through the predator in his intent gaze.

"Sephiroth?"

"Yes, Chaos. That would be my name. Now come. You smell like you've been dunked in a swamp of decomposing bodies." A hand slips into his bloodied clawed one, fingers lacing with claws, and when Sephiroth tugs gently Chaos follows without question. Home. Yes, home sounded nice. Though _his_ home resides wherever Sephiroth goes…


End file.
